The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also correspond to embodiments of the claimed inventions.
As automobiles become autonomous, intersections will no longer be constrained by the humans that are driving present-day vehicles. Instead, automated “Intersection Managers” (IMs) may assume the responsibility for intersection crossings, thus making intersections safer and more efficient. Such IMs may interact with autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles as they approach an intersection to identify a safe and efficient means by which to traverse the intersection, such as, for example, an appropriate lane of travel, appropriate timing and velocity, etc.
Rather than being controlled bi-directionally as is done with a present-day traffic light or necessitating the autonomous automobile stopping as is done with present day stop-signs, an automated intersection manager is capable of scheduling intersection crossings by vehicles in a far more efficient manner.
While solutions have been proposed, they remain flawed because they are based on simulations that operate within a perfect theoretical construct. Unfortunately, as these previously proposed management techniques are implemented in a real system (or within a scale model as described in greater detail below) the previously proposed management techniques encounter real-world failure modes not accounted for by the simulations.